Hungerford Town Mill (also called "Queen's Mill"): The Town mill stood in Bridge Street opposite the John of Gaunt Inn. We know that there were two water mills in the town in 1275, and one of them was probably on this site (the other may have referred to Eddington mill).

In 1566 the mill was "burned and utterly consumed with fire" in the great fire of Hungerford. The mill was run at the time by John Yowle, who had married the widow of the previous miller. After the fire the Yowles claimed against "the negligence of his neighbours" for causing the fire. Hoping to have some recompense, he "did re-edify the said mills which cost him £100 or very near thereabout." The owners at the time would have been the Crown via the Duchy of Lancaster, and no doubt the rebuilding had been swiftly undertaken.  The miller at the Town mill had a legally guaranteed monopoly to grind corn in the entire manor of Hungerford.
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In a Survey of Hungerford made by the Duchy of Lancaster in 1591, "John Yowle holds one watermill or cornemill".

From c1805 until c1930 the mill was owned by Edward Leybourne Popham (of Littlecote). The last miller was Mr Robert Cole, but the mill closed during the the First World War, and the building remained derelict. In 1932 Mr Turner of Hungerford Park owned it, and he demolished the old mill building, and in 1935 built Mill Hatch (for £1,000). The first tenants were Lon & Joy Peart of the Hungerford Trout Farm.

The miller's cottage is on the left of the picture (now Mill Cottage). Beyond the mill can be seen Rumball's butcher's shop. The butcher's business was started c1860 by William Cruse, and Ernest Rumball took over c1896. (Now Furr & Co., Goldsmiths and Jewellers).

See also:
- 7a Bridge Street

Eddington Mill: The manor of Eddington is listed in the Domesday Book as covering nearly 1,000 acres, and having a mill 34 acres. The 1844 edition of The Miller states that Eddington Mill was well known throughout the West Country.

Tom Hine adds:
1336 (VCH) Mentioned
1337 (VCH) Mentioned
1525 (VCH) Two mills in Eddington
1588 (VCH) Two mills in Eddington
1780 (VCH) Two mills in Eddington
1775           John Gaisford (owner); Joseph Fisher (tenant miller)
1791           Samuel Perkins, tenant miller
1796           Elizabeth Hillier
1812           John Hogsflesh
1812           Joseph Atherton
1823           Joseph Atherton
1830           Joseph Atherton
1823           James Langford & John Hogsflesh
1830           James Langford & John Hogsflesh
1847           William Hogsflesh. (The Hogsflesh family ran the mill for three generations. They originated from Kent)
1864           William Hofland (name changed from Hogsflesh)
1869           William Hofland
1877           Robert Newton Hofland (Snr & jnr)
1887           Robert Newton Hofland (Snr & jnr)
1895           Robert Newton Hofland (Snr & jnr)

A detailed account of Eddington mill can be found in The Miller, dated 3rd December 1894. The mills had been converted to roller mills (Turner's System), and was said to be giving very satisfactory results. For three generations the mill had been run by the Hofland family (who had changed their family name from Hogsflesh). The Hogsflesh family originated from Kent.
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Mr R N Hofland himself had supervised the tricky job of installing the twin "Hercules" turbines (33 and 27 ins) in a turbine pit which replaced the old traditional water-wheel. The detailed layout of the mill machinery can be seen on the report in The Miller.

In the 1890s, Eddington mill still sold much of its flour to Bath and the West Country.

In 1928 the mill was run by Robert John Robinson. It was powered at this time by 33" and 27"Hercules turbines.

The mill continued to mill flour until c1952, after which it was used for fertiliser storage until finally closing in 1959.

When Ken Major surveyed the mill in 1963 he wrote "Took photo of stones. Mill used for storage".

Upstream of Eddington Mill is a fine lake. The photograph above shows the work in progress, with Eddington Mill at the far end of the excavations, on the left.

Dun Mill: The earliest mention of Dun Mill was in 1406. It was a fulling mill from the 15th century.

The present mill dates from the 18th century. When the canal was built immediately adjacent to it, the owners were able to take great advantage of an alternative means of transport to and from the mill.

Norman Hidden's notes include the following early references:

1406: Close Rolls May 25th: Thomas Stokke to William Coventre and Richard Batfolde, heirs and assigns, quit claim with warranty, of Dun Mill by Hungerford which they had by his charter of enfeoffment dated 24 March, 7 Henry IV.

1494:     I.P.M. of Richard Chok  (IPM Hen.VII Vol.1 No.957):   A fulling mill called Dunne Myll, beside Hungerford, worth 20s., held of the King as of the Duchy of Lancaster by service of one thirtieth knight's fee.

1552:    Survey lists 2 grain mills of Hungerford (T/S p.8). Also refers to Dun Mill pound (T/S p.9)

1573:    Dun Mill in occupation of John Yowle + 3 acres in Everlong adjoining the mill + 1 acre of mead lammas ground called the Mill Pound Bank and 1 little close several all the year round containing ½ acre, and holdeth the same mill by indenture of Richard Chock gent, as his freehold (T/S p.28).

Also (T/S p.2): boundary of town and manor from Hungerford Mill past the free chapel and along the Dun to Bell Mead corner and so over the Kennet and over the mead to the water that comes out of the flood hatches to Dun Mill, the inheritance of Richard Chok gent, and so along the river to Denford Bridge.     [For notes on the River Dun see Summer's T/S notes No.30]

1577: Parish Register: "buried John Smith who was hurt with a knife at Dun Mill".

1591: Survey: Dun Mill Pound one of 7 pounds excepted from Crown fishing rights. Also in 1609 (T/S p. 12)

1595:    Parish Register: "buried Ellen wife of Thomas Smith of Dun Mill"

1609: Dun Pound Bank is one of several town common lammas grounds.

1610:    DL44/ 869 Special Commission to inquire into fishing rights. William Cannon deposes that Dun Mill pound (belonging also to Avington) extended from the mill to the end of 3 acres in the Everlong.

In 1494 Nicholas Passion was fined at Blackwell Hall for defective cloths (Margaret Yates - Town & Countryside in Western Berkshire, c1327-c1600, p95 - TNA, E195/350, 330, 332).

Tom Hine states "Dun Mill on the River Dun started grinding cord again after having been a 'Tucking Mill'. (Tucking mill was the West Country term for a fulling mill which was where homespun cloth was dipped, cleansed and dressed.) An action was brought by the owner of Town Mill, Newbury, to restrain Dun Mill at Hungeford from grinding corn for the inhabitants. The Court decreed that the corn be ground at Town Mill, Newbury, or Dun Mill would be pulled down, or converted back to 'Tucking' again."

The Victoria County History states (Vol 1, p.388,1972) "Dun Mill was a fulling mill, held in 1614 by Thomas Holmes, of Alex Choke Esq. of Avington. As late as 1691 the owner of the Town Mill brought an action to restrain the owner of Dun Mill from grinding the corn of the inhabitants of Hungerford. The Court decided they were bound to have their corn ground at the Town Mill, and that Dun Mill must be either pulled down or converted into a fulling mill again." W H Summers added "It was not found possible to put the decree into operation, and the miill remains to this day a corn mill"

1614          Thomas Holmes - fulling mill
1753-1817 Mr Harrison was miller.
1851          James Langford
1869          Samuel Trumper
1869          Henry Trumper
1881 (CS)  Mrs Ann Andrews (widow) and sons George, James and Thomas Edmond.
1883          George Coombs

There has been a famous trout farm here since 1907, run by the Peart family.

In July 1979 the mill and trout farm were sold at auction to Michael Stevenson. (See NWN report of sale, 26 Jul 1979 and "New owner of the trout farm has designs on your table" - NWN 31 Jan 1980).

When Ken Major surveyed the mill in 1963, he reported that "Stones there, pre 1847, gear removed. Building preserved, and an interesting loading bay by the Kennet & Avon Canal extended to meet the bank".

Denford Mill: This mill was used during the 19th century as a fulling mill in the cloth industry, for which a copious supply of water was required. (Fulling was where homespun cloth was dipped, cleansed and dressed.)

Town Mill, Bridge Street, c1900

Mill Hatch, Bridge Street, c2006

Eddington Mill, 1911

Digging Eddington Mill Lake, 1927

Dun Mill, c1910

Denford Mill, 1904